Won't Relink / Find Groups of Images. Have to Relink Each Image Individually.

[camilleb90573392]

I have a huge, very well organized catalog of photos for a big client (why I have some info blurred out). Although the LR catalog was organized, the photos were somewhat.

I had three locations for the images (desktop, G-drive, and another G-drive). All have the same folder structure with the exception of some subfolders that varied in name slightly. Image names never changed. A mess I know.

I recently moved all of the photos, removing duplicates, to one location on my desktop. The way I will keep it. The folder structure that I use is in the Lr catalog you see on the left, and this is how I have the folder structure on my desktop with the raw, original images.

The Problem:

When I go back to relink the images, some will relink every image I have selected in that collection by finding just the first image in that group and then the rest will be discovered (what I want).

Other folders I have to relink each individual image even though they are in the same catalog and all the originals are in the same folder (problem).

-the names of the photos have not been changed

-the images might have been pulled from different drives and folders before, but other groups have relinked just fine.

I have discovered it will relink all the same file types at the same time, but not a mixture (jpeg,tiff,CR2). Though this trick does not work with those.

I’ve tried everything. And I really don’t want to relink 2,000 images individually. Any speedbumps I might be missing?

Really appreciate any help!

[dj_paige · Accepted solution]

I am not surprised this is happening inside of a collection.

It will not happen if you re-link a folder.

[camilleb90573392]

I wouldn't say I am trying to relink a folder. I would select one image to find, relink it, and then LR would usually find the others missing that happen to be in that folder around it. But some it will find them, others you have to find/point to each individual image. If that makes sense. They are acting like I changed the file name.

[dj_paige]

But if you have selected a Collection (as in your screen capture), I am not surprised by this behavior of LR.

You have to open a folder, then select a photo in that folder and re-connect, it should find all "nearby" photos in that folder to reconnect automatically.

[camilleb90573392]

I'm sorry if my screen capture was misleading. The collection is selected because that is the one that I happen to be looking in.

I am doing the process that you are describing and having the issue where it will not find all "nearby" photos. The same thing happens if I am looking in "All Photographs", "Missing Photographs", any option.

I would highlight the missing images (like the image below) and selected the "!" icon on the first image of the selection, then reconnect that image. And usually all of the other images selected and unselected would be reconnected. But with some it will not find nearby images whether I have multiple images selected or just one.

I hope I cleared my process description up a bit better. I've used Lightroom for years, and never run into this.

[dj_paige]

I am doing the process that you are describing and having the issue where it will not find all "nearby" photos. The same thing happens if I am looking in "All Photographs", "Missing Photographs", any option.

I notice you did NOT say that you have selected a folder and then tried this.

[ManiacJoe]

While your collection is showing you the errors, you cannot fix the problem from the collection. You must fix the problem from the Folders panel.

Lightroom knows the difference between missing files and files in missing folders. You first need to fix the missing folders in the Folders panel, then fix any remaining missing files.

Until you fix the missing folders problem, there is nothing you can do in the Collections panel.